NAIROBI – The Independent Police and Surveillance Office (IPOA) is officially calling for a public investigation into the recent wave of adduction reported nationwide.
This follows the recognition that all individuals to which President William Root was accused have been released since.
IPOA Chair Issack Hassan appeared before the National Assembly Committee on Administrative and Internal Security on Monday, urging Congress to lead the establishment of an official investigation that would reveal the identity and network behind alleged human rights abuses.
“The IPOA also recommends that the nature of these complaints requires that a public inquiry be set up on this issue. It recommends whether it is called the Judicial Committee’s Board of Inquiry or the public inquiry, but there is some kind of investigation that can link all of these complaints with the arrest,” Hassan said.
The committee was considering the proposed budget estimates for the fiscal year 2025/2026, when the issue was raised.
Hassan outlined the patterns observed by the IPOA. There, they were often exempt, indemnified and often exempt from the police or CCTV surveillance without fear of being identified.
“They seemed very comfortable with what they were doing. They kept people in detention camps for a while, and some were even given transportation when they were dropped. This looked like a very organized surgery, but we’re continuing to investigate.
Hassan also expressed his dissatisfaction with the investigation into the incident, saying police leaders had distanced themselves from the incident.
“It’s very difficult to identify the police because when we were sitting now, the police inspectors came out and said they didn’t know about it and didn’t take part in these adductions or killings,” he said.
“It’s up to the committee and this council to give guidance on that. As for the IPOA, we’re just supervising the police and we’ve made people say they’re being accused of by officers and we’ve tried to get more information to get arrested and charged.”
IPOA CEO Elema Halake highlighted the role of the National Police Service in solving the issue.
“As an IPOA, we feel that the National Police is responsible for unearthing the adduction, as it is a major issue that IG should lead in order to get a solution,” Halake said.
The public inquiry called for a question from Mandala South Parliamentary, Hussein Abdiraman.
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“The president recently said that those who were accused were released and that it was true. But who was behind the acquiring? Abdiraman asked.
In addition to the investigation, the IPOA proposes creating a special court dedicated to dealing with police misconduct cases.
“We have an Anti-Corruption Court, a Land and Environment Court, and a Children’s Court, so we thought we could ask the Prosecutor’s Office and the Prosecutor’s Office to establish a special court that specifically deals with police violation cases,” Hassan said.
“The ODPP itself has already appointed certain prosecutors dealing with police because they have gained experience in prosecuting police officers. Rather than bringing together all of these cases, they want to be prioritized as they are a matter of public interest.”
